Integrating LID into Local Codes: A Guidebook for Local Governments

The final July 2012 version of “Integrating LID into Local Codes: A Guidebook for Local Governments” is now available

The Puget Sound Partnership, in collaboration with the Department of Ecology and with assistance from AHBL, Inc., has developed a new guidebook designed to help local government staff integrate low impact development (LID) requirements into local codes and standards.

The guidebook is intended for both local governments complying with LID requirements associated with the pending reissuance of the Phase I and Phase II Western Washington Municipal National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Stormwater General Permits and local governments not subject to the reissued permits that wish to integrate LID requirements into their codes and standards.

Background:
The Partnership, with their project partner (Ecology), their contractor (AHBL) and help from several local government staff and others, began a project to develop a new guidebook to help local government staff integrate LID into local codes and standards in Fall 2010. The Partnership released a draft of the guidebook for external comment June 1 – 30, 2011. The Partnership made changes to the guidebook based on comments received and released a November 2011 Final Draft of the Guidebook. The Partnership worked closely with Ecology to time the release of the final version of the guidebook with the release of the final Phase I and Phase II Western Washington NPDES Stormwater General Permits. The final version of this guidebook is being released July 31, 2012, one day before Ecology’s planned release of the permits on August 1, 2012.

The Partnership made a number of changes to the November 2011 final draft version of the guidebook:

Prepared numerous editorial changes for consistency and readability

Developed new text on maintenance in Step 6

Clarified that engineering designs provided are provided as examples

Made several changes to ensure the final guidebook is consistent with final municipal NPDES general permits for western Washington

Clarified language in Step 2 re: the use of LID in critical areas and buffers

Clarified that local governments may have existing site assessment information for sites being proposed for development